Is it dangerous to break a thermometer in an apartment?

Probably, in every house and apartment there is a thermometer for measuring body temperature. Such devices are necessary for any ailment. And most of them are mercury. Electronic and infrared meters are less in demand. At the same time, many are interested in whether it is dangerous to break a thermometer in an apartment. The answer to this question is presented in the article.

Security

Mercury thermometers need to be treated with care, since it is undesirable to break them because of the presence of a hazardous substance - mercury. But these devices still beat, so you need to know the rules of action that are required in this situation.

But first, you need to learn the principles of working with a mercury thermometer, which will minimize the occurrence of dangerous situations:

1. It is important to remember that this appliance is not a toy. Therefore, children should not be given.
2. Mercury thermometers are stored in a durable case, plastic can be used. Children should not have access to the storage area.
3. When "knocking down" a thermometer, care must be taken. Do not take it with wet hands, and also stand with the device near solid objects. This is required to protect against slipping and accidental impact.
4. The temperature in a child should be measured under the supervision of an adult. You should hold the baby’s hand, as due to its restlessness, it is highly likely that the thermometer will break.

These rules allow you to use the device safely. And then it is unlikely that the consumer will be interested in whether a broken mercury thermometer in an apartment is dangerous. Proper use of the thermometer eliminates the negative consequences.

Danger

Is it dangerous to break a thermometer? Mercury, due to which temperature is measured, is the 80th element of the periodic table and is included in the 1st hazard class, representing a cumulative poison. This metal in the range from -39 to +357 degrees is in a liquid state. It turns out that this is the only metal that at room temperature is in the liquid aggregate form, and not in solid. At +18, mercury evaporates, forming toxic components. Is a broken mercury thermometer dangerous in an apartment? Due to this property, this incident is considered dangerous.

In a conventional thermometer, mercury is in an amount of 2-5 g. Is it dangerous to break a thermometer in a room? If the component in such quantity evaporates around the room 18-20 square meters. m, then the vapor concentration will be 100 mg per cubic meter. This indicator is 300 times higher than the maximum permissible concentration for residential premises, since at normal indicators the component level is not more than 0.0003 mg per cubic meter.

With natural ventilation of the rooms, this excess does not entail anything, moreover, an elevated temperature is required for the evaporation of the substance. But if you do not apply the appropriate actions, the maximum permissible concentration (maximum permissible concentration) of vapors increases by 50-100 times from a broken thermometer, which is very dangerous.

Is a broken thermometer dangerous for humans? Mercury can accumulate in the body. If you do not carefully collect it, then the effects of inhaled fumes can occur in a few weeks. In this case, it will be difficult to establish the causes of the ailment.

Effects on the body

The above information allows you to answer the question of whether a broken mercury thermometer in a room is dangerous. Symptoms of deterioration may not immediately appear, since the metal is able to accumulate. Poisoning happens:

1. Chronic. It arises due to constant contact with metal during prolonged operation indoors with a vapor concentration slightly exceeding the maximum permissible concentration. General weakness, severe unreasonable fatigue, headache, irritability, and dizziness are observed. Poisoning can occur after a few years.
2. Sharp. With an increased concentration of the component, poisoning occurs after 2-3 hours. There is a metallic taste, pain in the abdomen, head and during swallowing. There is no appetite yet. With this poisoning, pneumonia is not excluded.
3. Micromercurialism: at a very low concentration of a substance, but for a long period within 5-10 years. It manifests itself in the form of protracted ailments of the respiratory system, severe bleeding of the gums, tremor of the fingers, nervous disorders, cycle disorders in young women.

Is it dangerous to break a thermometer with mercury for human health? The component enters the body with toxic fumes through the lungs. If there is a large spill of mercury, then intoxication occurs through the mucous membranes and pores of the skin. Usually the metal negatively affects the nervous system, respiratory tract and kidneys.

If the component enters the body with food, then it has no significant effect, since it is almost completely removed through the intestines without absorption into the blood. Removing residues takes a long time through the kidneys.

Long-term ingestion of small doses can lead to severe inflammation in the organs. Intoxication causes pneumonia, paralysis and complete blindness. Considering the topic of whether a broken thermometer in a room is dangerous, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for cleaning and disposing of spills, as well as study emergency information.

How does poisoning manifest itself?

Is a broken thermometer so dangerous, as they say? Following inhalation of vapor, the appearance of:

• metallic taste in the mouth;
• general weakness;
• headache and discomfort while swallowing;
• nausea and vomiting.

If you do not help a person in a timely manner, then the symptoms of poisoning increase. This is manifested in the form:

• bleeding gums;
• abdominal pain;
• loose stool with mucous and bloody patches;
• a sharp increase in temperature, including up to 40 degrees.

With these symptoms, urgent hospitalization is needed. If qualified medical care is not provided, the consequences can be dangerous, even fatal. Is it dangerous to break a thermometer if there are children and pregnant women at home? In a child, even with small inhalations, serious problems in kidney function are likely.

Inhalation of mercury vapor is also dangerous for pregnant women, as it can lead to fetal damage to the fetus. Therefore, in this case, even in the absence of the above symptoms, you need to see a doctor.

First aid

The question whether it is dangerous to break a mercury thermometer in an apartment can be answered positively. If symptoms of poisoning occur, you must call an ambulance. Before doctors arrive, a person should drink as much water as possible in order to flush the body.

It is advisable to drink Polysorb. This is an enterosorbent, which is taken in case of acute poisoning by poisons. The sorption capacity of Polysorb is more than 300 mg per 1 g of powder, the action begins in a few minutes. The product has no age contraindications.

The dose of the drug is determined by the weight of the person:

• 11-20 kg - 1 tsp. funds and 30-50 ml of water;
• 21-30 - 1 tsp with a "slide" and 50-70 ml;
• 31-40 - 2 tsp., 70-10 ml;
• 41-60 - 1 tbsp. l and 100 ml;
• More than 60 kg - 1.5-2 tbsp. l., 100-150 ml.

Skin contact

If mercury has come into contact with the skin, wash it with cold running water and soap. Then wipe the affected area with cotton moistened with a solution of potassium permanganate. It is important to ensure that in the near future there is no allergy: redness, itching, tingling. In this case, turn to the clinic. During the week you need to drink plenty of water to remove toxins from the body.

What to do?

It is important to know not only whether it is dangerous to break a thermometer in an apartment, but also what actions should be taken. If the thermometer crashes, then it is necessary to take into account its physical properties and cool the room to 18 degrees. At this temperature, mercury is not able to evaporate. Usually, you just need to turn off the heating, turn on the air conditioning and open the window. In a room where mercury is spilled, there should not be a draft that is capable of crushing balls of mercury. Therefore, you need to open only one window.

Then the consequences should be eliminated. If you have not had contact with mercury, then you need to change shoes and change into clothes and shoes that can be thrown away. It is better to choose rubber shoes and clothing from a material that does not absorb anything. Used cellophane raincoat. Rubber gloves should be worn on the hands, and a damp cloth bandage on the face.

It is necessary to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (20 g of manganese per 10 liters of water), and in another container a soap-soda solution. Part of potassium permanganate must be collected in a glass jar with a tight lid. Scattered mercury is like small metal balls. When they are on the floor, it is not difficult to assemble them. Large particles are collected by a sheet of paper and lowered into a jar. Small ones are eliminated with a piece of adhesive tape, which is lowered into potassium permanganate.

Then you need to carefully examine the places where mercury could be. This is best done with a flashlight. Balls are rolled out with a metal knitting needle or sucked with a pear for douching. All this is placed in a pot with potassium permanganate, like particles of a thermometer. The skirting board must be removed and packaged in a tight bag for disposal. Thanks to the flashlight, you can see a clear metallic reflection of the mercury balls, so they will be clearly visible on a flat floor.

After collecting the mercury, you need to wash the floor and all surfaces where the substance could have been, using a soap-soda solution. Clothing, gloves and shoes must be folded into a bag, tied tightly and call the Ministry of Emergencies. There you can find out where the disposal of collected mercury and things in contact with it is performed.

A person needs to wash himself, rinse his mouth with soda solution and take activated charcoal for detoxification (several tablets). The room where the thermometer was broken should be closed from visits for a week, but the window should be left open. Regular disinfection of the floor with a soap-soda solution is required.

Is it dangerous to break a thermometer at home on a fabric surface? Yes, as well as in the area where it is impossible to collect the substance: in a room with gaps in the floor or where there are a lot of things. In these situations, the help of specialists is required. But first, people and animals are taken out of the room. Then it is required to open one window, avoiding a draft, and invite laboratory service employees working at the epidemiological stations and at the departments of the Ministry of Emergencies. Thanks to special equipment, it will be possible to establish the concentration of mercury vapor, as well as to identify things that need to be disposed of.

What is forbidden to do?

You should know not only about whether it is dangerous to break a mercury thermometer at home, but also what actions are prohibited.

1. Mercury cannot be collected with a broom or vacuum cleaner, as liquid metal is crushed, and a warm vacuum cleaner motor causes it to evaporate. The consequences of this cleaning only aggravate the situation.
2. Collected mercury, which is transferred to a closed glass jar with a solution of potassium permanganate, should not be thrown into a garbage chute or garbage container. There it breaks up, which will be dangerous for all people (from one thermometer up to 6 thousand cubic meters of air can be contaminated). Fragments from a thermometer and mercury can be disposed of only on the recommendations of the Ministry of Emergencies.
3. Items that come in contact with mercury cannot be machine washed, even if disinfectants are used. This will not only save clothes, but will also make future washing dangerous.
4. Do not flush mercury into the sewer. It will not reach the sewage station, but will remain in the “knees” of the pipeline and for a long time will pollute the air.

If the thermometer crashes, you should not panic. In this case, panic will be the main enemy. You need to call the Ministry of Emergencies and get a consultation. In difficult situations, referral will be given to other services that are able to eliminate the consequences.

Prevention

You can reduce the risk of mercury poisoning if you follow simple rules:

1. You need to use electronic or infrared thermometers.
2. Do not give thermometers to children.
3. It is necessary to tightly fix the child's hand during temperature measurement.
4. It is necessary to carefully knock down the thermometer so as not to break it.
5. Follow the rules for removing mercury from different surfaces.

Where else is mercury?

The main source of vapor is a mercury thermometer. A large drop of matter and the same amount of metal in small balls evaporate in different ways. Due to the large surface area, small droplets emit more hazardous fumes in a short time.

The following cases are dangerous:

1. The metal is on upholstered furniture, children's toys, a carpet and fabric slippers. Completely eliminate the substance does not work, so things must be thrown away.
2. Mercury was long in the room where the windows are closed (due to this, the concentration of vapors increases).
3. Balls rolled on the floor with heating (there is an increase in the rate of evaporation).
4. On the floor, laminate flooring, wooden boards. To remove mercury, it is necessary to remove the coating - small balls roll into the cracks.

Mercury is found in some devices, mercury discharge lamps, and energy-saving fluorescent lamps. The volume of the substance is small - no more than 70 mg. Danger appears when several lamps are broken in the room. Do not throw the lamps into a container, they should be disposed of in special centers.